Poultry fountain



Dec. 13, 1949 B, PARKER 2,49l,b14

/P@ULTRY FOUNTAIN Filed May 22, 1946 2 Shets-Sheet 1 4 BerZJZZ QrFrer WMWW Attorneys Dec. 13, 1949 A. PARKER POULTRY FOUNTAIN 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1946 Inventor Bari Z-Pdfkf Attorneys Patented Dec. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE POULTRY FOUNTAIN Bert A. Parker, Boone, Colo.

Application May 22, 1946, Serial No. 571,618

8 Claims; 1

This invention relates to an improved construction of fountain for watering poultry;

A particular object of the present invention is to provide a watering fountain which is especially adapted for use in conjunction with floors having a drain outlet and which is constructed and arranged to be mounted for opening directly into such outlet.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fountain which is capable of being economically manufactured and sold and which is composed of few parts constructed and arranged in a compact and durable manner enabling the fountain to be readily maintained in a sanitary condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of shield which will function to limit the extent that the fowl can extend their heads into the fountain and also which will function as retaining means for holding a mesh wire fabric flooring in position.

Various other objects. and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate. a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the improved poultry fountain;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the central portion of the mesh wire fabric floor sections;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a portion of the fountain, and

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of, the part disclosed in Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, numeral I designates generally a poultry fountaln constituting the invention and which includes a drain pan, designated generally 8 which is substantially circular and which is provided with a bottom 9 which is inclined downwardly from the outeredge thereof in all directions toward an opening Ill in the center thereof which is defined by an annular depending flange H. The drain pan 8- is. provided with an upstanding marginal wall l2 which has an outwardly rolled bead I3. The annular flange ll is provided with a downwardly opening notch M for receiva part of the horizontal portion of a water supply conduit l5 which is connected to a suitable source of water supply, not shown, and which is provided with an upwardly extending portion it which extends upwardly from the central portion of the opening Ill. The flange ll may be provided with an opening for accommodating the conduit [5 in lieu of the notch M.

A drain box H, which is circular in cross section, and is adapted to be mounted with the lower portion thereof disposed in the flange ll defining the opening 10 and with the upper part thereof extending substantially to the level of the bead I3. The drain box I! is provided with an open lower end l8 and is provided with a circumferential bulge intermediate of its upper and lower ends forming a shoulder l9 which rests on the pan bottom 9, around the opening [0. The annular shoulder l9 supports the lower open end l8 at approximately the level of the bottom edge of the flange l I. As best seen in Figures 5 and 6, the lower part of the drain box I! is provided with vertically extending inwardly pressed grooves 20 which extend into the lower half of the shoulder l9, at their upper ends, and which open outwardly of the lower end of the drain box, at their opposite ends. The grooves 20 form passages for carrying oil? water from the tray bottom 9, between the flange H and the lower part of the drain box II, when the drain box is in an applied position, as seen in Figure 2. The drainbox I! is provided with a top wall 2| having a restricted central opening 22.

A drinking container, designated generally 23 includes a downwardly tapered frusto-conical intermediate portion 24 having an inturned annular portion 25 at its lower end. The lower end of the drinking container 23 is formed by a short tubular portion 26 which is formed integral with and extends downwardly from the inner part of the annular portion 25 and which removably fits and extends through the opening 22 for supporting the drinking container 23 on the drain box I! and with the underside of the annular portion 25' resting on the top wall 2| thereof. The container 23 is provided with an annular wall l1 at its top which forms a continuation of the upper enlarged end of the frusto-conical portion 24 and which terminates in an outurned bead 28.

A length of pipe 29 is provided with an outwardl'y projecting collar 30, adjacent its lower end, and carries a sealing gasket M which is disposed thereon and against the underside of the collar 30. The lower end of the pipe 29 is removably disposedin the tubular portion 26 with the gasket 3| resting on the upper side of the annular portion 25 to form a watertight closure for the open bottom of the container 23, defined by the bore of the tubular portion 26. When thus disposed, the upper end of the pipe 29 extends to a level intermediate of the upper and lower edges of the wall 21. The conduit portion [6 extends upwardly through the tubular portion 26 and the pipe 29 and terminates in a turned back portion 32 at its upper end which is disposed substantially above the upper end of the pipe 29 and which has an outlet end 33 which opens into the container23 at one side of the pipe 29.

A float 34 is mounted on an arm 35 which is pivoted at 36 to a bracket 31 which projects laterally from the outlet end 33 of the conduit portion 32. The arm 35 is provided with a closure 38 which is arranged to bear against and close the outlet end 33, as will hereinafter be described.

The drip pan 8 is provided with a cover, designated generally 39, which is formed of corresponding sections 40, each of which includes a frame, designated generally 4| which supports an arcuate strip 42 of mesh wire fabric. Each of the frames 4| includes an inner semi-circular portion 43 and a plurality of radial braces 44 having protruding outer ends which are turned downwardly to form hooks 45.

The cover 39 is adapted to be positioned with the sections 43 thereof disposed to cover the open top of the drip pan 8 with the hooks 45 engaging the outer side of the head 13 and with the arcuate portion 43 resting on the upper surface of the top 2| of the drain box 11 and around the lower part of the frusto-conical container portion 24 to form an open mesh platform on which fowl may stand to drink from the container 23.

The poultry fountain 1 also includes a guard or shield, designated generally 46 including a conical roof 41 which is disposed above the open upper end of the container 23 and supported by a plurality of depending rods 48 which are secured to and extend downwardly from the lower enlarged end of the roof 4! and certain of which extend through the mesh wire fabric strips 42 and rest on the pan bottom 9. As best seen in Figure 1, the rods 48 which extend through the strips 42 are disposed outwardly of and adjacent to the arcuate frame portions 43, so that said rods function not only to support the roof 4! at the correct elevation above the container 23, but also function to releasably retain the cover sections in their applied positions. The rods 48 may be spaced any desired distance apart and the roof 41 may be spaced any desired distance above the container 23 to permit fowl to conveniently extend their heads therethrough to drink from the container 23. Obviously, the height of the container 23 may, be varied to adapt the fountain I to fowl of different sizes.

The fountain 1 is adapted to be used in conjunction with a floor, not shown, having a drain outlet and the flange i l is sized to fit into such outlet for mounting the fountain I thereabove. The water supply conduit may be embedded in the aforementioned floor and with the portion [6 thereof projecting upwardly from the center of the drain outlet of the floor so that the pan 9 may be applied thereover and a part of the conduit [5 accommodated in the notch 14. The drain box I1 is provided with a downwardly opening notch 50 which may be positioned to 4 register with the notch l4 for accommodating a portion of the conduit 15. Assuming that the fountain 1 is assembled, as illustrated in Figure 2, the float 34 will swing downwardly to permit water to flow into the container 23 through the conduit outlet 33. When the water level in the container 23 substantially reaches the broken line 51 of Figure 2, the float 34 will be moved to its position of Figure 2, to move the closure 38 into sealing engagement with the outlet end 33 for shutting off the flow of water to the container 23. The water level 51 is slightly below the upper edge of the pipe 29, so that drainage through the pipe 29 will occur ordinarily only in case the water is splashed by the fowl drinking therefrom. As in my co-pending application, previously referred to, the container 23 may be readily flushed out to remove an accumulated sediment or dirt by the simple expedient of raising the pipe 29 to move the lower end thereof out of engagement with the outlet conduit 26 to allow the water to be released through outlet 26 in the drain box I! into the floor drain. Any water which is splashed by the fowl out of the container 23 will fall onto the mesh wire fabric cover and platform 40 and will pass therethrough onto the pan bottom 9 from whence it will drain toward the opening l0 and pass on" through the grooves 20 between the flange ll and the drain box 11. To remove the cover 40 from the pan 8, it is only necessary to lift the guard 46 to disengage the rods 48 from openings 49 in the screens 42 to permit cleaning of the interior of the pan 9.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In a poultry watering fountain, a drip pan having a flanged opening in the bottom thereof adapted to fit into a drainage outlet an to be supported thereby, said pan having a bottom inclined in all directions downwardly and toward said flanged opening, a drinking container or trough mounted above said drip pan and having an outlet in the bottom thereof opening into the drainage outlet, a pipe having a lower end removably mounted in and closing theoutlet of said trough and having an upper open end terminating below the upper end of said trough and disposed therein, and a conduit, connected to a source of water supply, extending laterally into the flanged opening of the pan and upwardly through the outlet of the trough and throgh said pipe and provided with an outlet end opening into the trough above and to one side of the pipe.

2. A poultry fountain as in claim 1, said pipe being movable upwardly relatively to the trough for disengaging the lower end of the pipe from the trough outlet to permit the contents of the trough to be released through said outlet.

3. A poultry fountain as in claim 1, a drain box having a lower open end removably mounted in the flanged outlet of the drip pan and provided with a restricted opening in its upper end for receiving the outlet of said trough, said trough being supported by the upper end of said drain box, said drain box being provided with a shoulder for engaging the pan bottom for supporting the drain box therein and having grooves opening outwardly of its lower edge and into said shoulder forming drainage passages between said flanged outlet and the drain box for the pan bottom.

5. A poultry fountain as in claim 1, said drip pan having an upstanding marginal wall, a mesh wire fabric cover formed of individually removable sections, closing the open top of said drip pan and combining to define an opening surrounding a portion of the trough.

6. A poultry fountain as in claim 1, said drip pan having an upstanding marginal wall, a mesh Wire fabric cover formed of individually removable sections, closing the open top of said drip pan and combining to define an opening surrounding a portion of the trough, a guard having a hood disposed over the open top of said trough and provided with depending supporting rods disposed around said trough and supported by the drip pan, certain of said rods extending through the cover sections for retaining said sections positioned on the drip pan.

7. A poultry watering fountain comprising a drip pan having a flanged opening in its bottom bottom mounted in and supported by the drip pan outlet, a drinking trough mounted above the drip pan and having a depending outlet opening into and supported by the drain box, and a pipe having a lower end removably mounted in and closing the trough outlet and having an upper open end opening below the top of the trough to provide an overflow pipe, said pipe being movable upwardly for disengaging the lower end thereof from the trough outlet for draining the trough.

8. A poultry watering fountain as in claim 7, the bottom portion of said drain box having externally recessed portion combining with the drip pan outlet to define drainage passages for the drip pan.

BERT A. PARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,254,937 Ryon Jan. 29, 1918 1,803,413 Trites May 5, 1931 1,811,375 Wysong June 23, 1931 2,138,544 Gulla Nov. 29, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 26,327 Denmark July 26, 1920 

